Fantasy basketball tips and projections for Saturday - ESPN

ESPN's fantasy basketball and basketball betting tips cheat sheet is your pregame destination for basketball betting predictions and our best intel and data, featuring ESPN's proprietary Basketball Power Index (BPI) to help you make smart fantasy and wagering decisions. Fantasy advice is based on ESPN 10-team leagues.

New this season, ESPN Analytics will also generate daily NBA fantasy projections. By combining historical player and team data and specific game factors ESPN is able to accurately predict player box score stats. Accounting for injuries, trends in playing time, and other factors impacting future performance the statistical models can be used to help NBA fantasy players gain an edge in their league.

By Jim McCormick

The day after Thanksgiving is famously filled with various sporting events, notably including a 10-game NBA In-Season Tournament slate. The real action was defined by a series of upsets, as improving teams such as the Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, and Sacramento Kings overtook favored opponents.

The fantasy spin from Friday's slate included a revival performance from Jaden Ivey (rostered in 36.5% of ESPN men's basketball leagues). Ivey's return to relevance is helpful for a young Detroit Pistons team in need of some momentum.

We also sawSanti Aldama (14.9%) and Herbert Jones (51.4%) continue to deliver statistical value. Both should remain reliable members of their respective rotations.

Looking at Saturday's six-game schedule, the betting odds and totals indicate this could be a competitive day of NBA basketball. Only one game — between the Atlanta Hawks (-7.5) and Washington Wizards — has a spread above 3.5 points. Even that game has value given the highest total of the day (248.5) and some